The featherweight showdown between Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis tops the bill at UFC 206 on what should be a fascinating night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Saturday night.
The bout was initially scheduled to be the co-main event alongside Daniel Cormier’s light heavyweight scrap with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. However an injury to Cormier means the focus has shifted onto the two featherweights as they seek to enhance their reputation in what is one of the UFC’s most intriguing divisions.
Originally booked as an interim title fight, now only Holloway can win the belt because Pettis missed weight Friday, according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com.
As two of the most entertaining fighters in the company, fireworks seem inevitable in this one. Here’s the card in full for what promises to be a night to remember, followed by a closer look at how the main event is set to play out.
| Weight class | Main Card | Prediction | |
| Featherweight | Max Holloway | Anthony Pettis | Holloway |
| Welterweight | Donald Cerrone | Matt Brown | Cerrone |
| Featherweight | Cub Swanson | Doo Ho Choi | Choi |
| Middleweight | Tim Kennedy | Kelvin Gastelum | Gastelum |
| Welterweight | Jordan Mein | Emil Meek | Mein |
| Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) | |||
| Light Heavyweight | Nikita Krylov | Misha Cirkunov | Krylov |
| Lightweight | Olivier Aubin-Mercier | Drew Dober | Aubin-Mercier |
| Women's Strawweight | Valerie Letourneau | Viviane Pereira | Letourneau |
| Bantamweight | Mitch Gagnon | Matthew Lopez | Lopez |
| Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | |||
| Lightweight | John Makdessi | Lando Vannata | Vannata |
| Lightweight | Jason Saggo | Rustam Khabilov | Khabilov |
| Flyweight | Zach Makovsky | Dustin Ortiz | Makovsky |
UFC.com
TV Info: The action will be broadcast on Fox Sports and pay-per-view in the United States and BT Sport in the United Kingdom.
Holloway and Pettis Out to Cement Title Credentials
With nine consecutive wins under his belt coming into this one, Holloway is the likely favourite for the main event at UFC 206.
While the featherweight division has been in a state of flux due to Conor McGregor’s endeavours in heavier classes—he was recently stripped of the title—the man from Hawaii has sought to resuscitate it with some vibrant performances. In June at UFC 199, Holloway secured a comfortable unanimous-decision victory over Ricardo Lamas.
He’ll be keen to assert his status as one of the juggernauts of the featherweight division too. After McGregor was stripped of the belt and Jose Aldo adorned with it, the picture in this weight class is murky, and the authenticity of any champion could be questioned.
Speaking ahead of the showdown in Toronto, Holloway said that is not something that’s getting to him and agreed that this bout, in all but name, could be for the championship.
"Most people have been saying, ‘This is for the real belt, this should be the real belt,'" Holloway said, per Mike Bohn and Ken Hathaway of MMAjunkie. "It is what it is. I just look at it as my golden ticket. I get my belt. We know we’re going to fight next when we get the belt and it is what it is. Who cares?"
Indeed, Chamatkar Sandhu of MMAjunkie feels that even without a full championship on the line, those who tune in will get their money’s worth:
Belt or no belt Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis is a sick fight! Only good thing with this interim title is they'll get paid more. #UFC206
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) December 4, 2016
Pettis is a competitor who has proved to be well worth watching down the years. He will look to make a big statement after his switch to featherweight.
While he's skilled, the man from Milwaukee endured a difficult run in his last three lightweight bouts, losing to Rafael Dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez—two recent champions at the weight—and Edson Barboza, all on the scorecards.
Pettis subsequently took the decision to shed down to 145 pounds for his last fight and was impressive in halting Charles Oliveira via guillotine choke in August. But getting the better of Holloway, who is a proven force at this weight and in exceptional form, will be a different type of test.
Despite losing his way a little in recent years, Pettis has the talent to end bouts in a flash, as BT Sport UFC reminded us recently:
One of the most spectacular moments in MMA history! ?????? #TuesdayMotivation #UFC206 https://t.co/cKMhOdrWAL
— BT Sport UFC (@btsportufc) December 6, 2016
For both Holloway and Pettis, this feels like a step up. Holloway’s industry and striking ability will trouble his opponent if he’s allowed to build confidence. However, Pettis is a tremendous stand-up striker too, and while Holloway will look to apply pressure, he’ll need to be wary of being tagged or on the end of one of those spectacular knockout flourishes.
Ultimately, the familiarity at the weight will swing this one in Holloway’s favour. Pettis did look a little jaded by the end of this 145-pound bow, and a thoroughbred of the division like Holloway will be too strong for him in the latter stages.
Prediction: Holloway wins via decision.
